Cheddar Potato Chowder

2 Cups of water or chicken broth
2 Cups diced un-peeled potatoes
1 Cup carrots diced
1 Cup broccoli/cauliflower or celery
1/4 Cup onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 Cup flour
2 Cups milk
2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a dutch oven combine the first seven ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, place flour in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to boil over medium heat. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Add cheese. Stir until melted. Stir cheese sauce into undrained vegetables. Stir until combined.

What I did: about 4lbs of potatoes and carrots left over from Sunday dinner.... put them in a big pot. Add at least 4-6 cups of chicken stock and/or water (I could have easily added much more but didn't have room in my pot). Boil until tender (I boiled these for 10 minutes but they were already pre-cooked). While the potatoes and carrots are boiling. Make the rue in a sauce pan (I doubled this recipe). Add to the potatoes and carrots. Voila! It was so good....

Taco Salad

This is a family favorite. It's also SUPER easy and pretty healthy.

Ingredients:

Ground turkey
Taco seasoning
Romaine lettuce
Shredded cheese
Beans (canned black or red)
Tomatoes
Green Peppers
Tortilla Chips
Salsa (my homemade salsa)
Ranch

Cut up vegetables. Brown the turkey and add taco seasoning. Use all the ingredients to build your salad!

tap, tap, tap....

I don't even know if anyone even follows this blog anymore. IF someone does I just thought I would explain the recent flux in posts. :)

A few of years ago my friend Shelley and I found this great site called Taste Book. You just upload your recipes and they print them into a really great, sturdy, attractive cookbook. So we bought one.

I uploaded the recipes that I had at the time and still had a credit left over.... I STILL have that credit on this site... several years later. So, this year for a Christmas present for myself I decided that I was going to type up all my favorite recipes and finish off this project!!

Buttercream Frosting

I found this great recipe on just a random blog. She calls it I Dream of Buttercream. 

2 sticks of butter (room temperature)
1 cup crisco
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 pounds powdered sugar
3+ tablespoons cold milk

mix it!

notes:
-butter flavored crisco tastes better but will add color if you are making white frosting
-use clear vanilla if you are making white frosting
-with the milk use up to 6-7 for really fluffy soft frosting, less for holding decorating shape

Susie's Sugar Cookies

My friend shared this cookie recipe with me. I don't make sugar cookies very often. I like to make them at Christmastime.

Ingredients

2 C. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
6 Tbsp. butter softened
1/3 C. shortening
3/4 C. sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond

Preparation Instructions

Mix wet ingredients first. Then mix in dry ingredients. Chill for 3 hours. Roll out and cut with cookie cutters. Bake 8 minutes @ 375*.

Peanut Butter Balls

This my grandma's awesome recipe. We always make these at Christmastime to share with our friends and family.

Ingredients

1 1/2 C. peanut butter
1 lb. plus 1 C. powdered sugar
2 sticks oleo (margarine)
1 pkg almond bark

Preparation Instructions

Mix peanut butter and oleo together until well blended. Add powdered sugar. Make this into balls. Melt chocolate in microwave (in small time increments so it doesn't cook the chocolate.. just melt it). Dip balls in chocolate and place on waxed paper or buttered pan.

Pecan Pie/Chocolate Pecan Pie

This recipe is from Pioneer Woman. It is absolutely delish!

Ingredients

1 pie crust (I use a refrigerated rolled crust)
1 cup White Sugar
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
½ teaspoons Salt
1 cup Corn Syrup
¾ teaspoons Vanilla
⅓ cups Melted Butter (salted)
3 whole Eggs Beaten
1 cup (heaping) Chopped Pecans

Preparation Instructions

Mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl. Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell. At this point, if you would like Chocolate Pecan Pie, add about 1/2c. chocolate chips to the bottom of the pie shell. Pour syrup mixture over the top.

Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil. Bake pie at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.


NOTE: PIE SHOULD NOT BE OVERLY JIGGLY WHEN YOU REMOVE IT FROM THE OVEN. If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or until set. Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe. Sometimes it takes 50 minutes; sometimes it takes 75! Allow to cool for several hours or overnight. Serve in thin slivers.

Cowboy Caviar

A sweet friend of mine from high school made this for us for Christmas one year. I like but my husband LOVES it.


Ingredients

2 cans of black eyed peas, drained.
1 can of hominy, drained.
2 bell peppers, I did a green one and a red one, minced.
One white onion, minced.
8 green onions. Cut four of them into it, keep 4 for the end.
1 jalapeno pepper. Seeds removed, and sliced into thin strips.
One container (about 8 oz) of grape tomatoes, halved.
2 cloves of garlic, minced.

Add to taste
Dried parsley
Salt
Cracked pepper


Preparation Instructions

Mix this all together and cover it in Italian Dressing. Cover and stick in the fridge for 24 hours. Garnish with the other four green onions, chopped, and lime juice.

Peanut Butter Chews

Our sweet 80 year old neighbors used to make these for us when we lived by them. They are super yummy.

Ingredients

1 C. white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. butter
1 C. Dark corn syrup
4 1/2 C. corn flakes
1 C. crunchy peanut butter

Preparation instructions

Bring sugar and syrup to a boil. Stir in peanut butter. Remove from heat. Pour mixture over corn flakes and mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper or onto wax paper sprayed with cooking spray.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

A sweet friend shared this recipe with me. It's yummy!

Ingredients

1 can shredded chicken (or you can cook and shred your own)
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 small can green chiles
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 c. hot water
2 cubes chicken bouillon
chili powder
cayenne pepper

Preparation instructions

Just throw it all in a large cooking pot, mix it up, and boil it.
Serve with tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream. 

Egg Rolls

Everyone that has tried these have LOVED them. And I love them!!
I took a egg roll recipe that I found on Tasty Kitchen and tweaked it to make it easier and yummier!

Ingredients

2.5 lbs ground turkey
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 bag of coleslaw veggies
Soy Sauce
Salt
Pepper
2 packages large wontons
Canola oil for frying

Preparation Instructions


Get your deep fryer ready; the oil takes a while to heat. Start heating the oil to 350 degrees.
Brown the ground turkey, onion, and garlic together over medium-high heat. You can use an electric skillet if you have one. I actually use my largest cooking pot. 


Add the 2 tablespoons of canola oil to the meat and then add the coleslaw mix and a healthy dash of soy sauce (I use about 1/8-1/4 c.). Saute the veggies until crisp-tender.

Now it’s time to season. Start with about 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper; mix well and taste. Tinker with the spices (don’t forget the soy sauce!) until there’s a nice depth of flavor.

After everything is cooked together nicely and the veggies are tender, I actually throw the mixture into a colander so it won't be too soupy and then pour the mixture into a large bowl and let cool until barely warm.

Time to roll the egg rolls! Open the package of wrappers and cover with a damp paper towel to keep them soft while you work with them. Place one wrapper on your work surface so it looks like a diamond (not a square). Place about three tablespoons(ish) filling on the bottom third of the wrapper. Lift bottom corner up and over; fold in the sides so it looks like an open envelope. you can moisten the top edges with water and roll up if you like but I have started omitting this step and haven't had a problem. Just place egg roll seam side down.

(At this point you can flash freeze a tray of these and once they are frozen place them in a ziplock bag)

After you’ve rolled all the rolls, deep-fry them in 350-degree oil, about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. I use a 12 inch deep skillet at med/high heat for this and can fry about 8 at a time. Let drain on paper towels; serve hot.

note: Egg rolls are ALWAYS yummier when fried but if you want to be healthier you can bake them and they will still be very delicious. Place the egg rolls seam side down on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Spray or brush tops of the egg rolls with oil and bake for 20 minutes (375*), turning halfway through.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

This is perfect with my egg rolls. It is so easy and it's way better than any jarred sauce that I've tasted.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Oil
1 cup Pineapple Juice
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
½ cups Water
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
½ cups Sugar
1 Tablespoon Ketchup

Preparation Instructions

(note: I use the juice from a can of chunk pineapple. It is just shy of 1 cup but I just make up the difference with a little more water)

First, heat and bring to a boil the oil and pineapple juice. Mix cornstarch and water, stir until dissolved and add to the previous mixture. Next, mix soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, ketchup, and add to previous ingredients. Cook until sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Freezes well.

Restaurant Style Salsa

This recipe originally came from Pioneer Woman. However, I have tweaked it just a bit so I have made the changes on here. For example, the original recipe calls for ¼ cups of onion but I didn't have any one day so i made it without and it still turned out great. Now I never add it. This salsa is super good and easy to make. We all love it.

Ingredients

2 cans (14.5 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes
1 can (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)
1 clove Garlic, Minced (or a heaping teaspoon of the jarred stuff)
1 whole jalapeño, Quartered And Sliced Thin (most of the time I use the jarred slices for convenience. About 3 or 4 slices)
¼ teaspoons Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Ground Cumin
½ teaspoon Lime Juice (the pre-squeezed stuff)

Instructions

I like to drain the tomatoes and Rotel before I blend them because I don't like my salsa so runny, but you don't have to drain them. Combine tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeño, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, and lime juice in a blender or food processor. Blend until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.
Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour.

Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares

This is one of those foods that when I make it for some kind of function EVERYONE asks for the recipe. It is so delicious! 

I cheat and use pre-squeezed lemon juice. And I leave off the zest.

Ingredients

1-⅓ cup All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 stick (1/2 Cup) Butter, Slightly Softened
1 cup Brown Sugar (lightly Packed)
1 cup Oats
1 can (14 Ounce) Sweetened Condensed Milk
½ cups Lemon Juice
Zest Of 1 Lemon

Instructions

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES.
Mix butter and brown sugar until well combined.
Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.
Add oats and flour to butter/sugar mixture and mix to combine.
Press half of crumb mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 11 inch pan.
Mix together condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Spread onto the bottom layer of the crumb mixture. Top with the other half of the crumb mixture, but don’t press.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Allow pan to sit on counter for 30 minutes after baking. Cut into squares and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until cool.
Serve cool.

Kicked Up Ramen Noodles – Kung Pao Style

We have recently come to LOVE Thai food! Unfortunately, we cannot afford to eat there as often as we get a craving. This recipe actually resembles Thai food and my kids love it! I plan to try it with some sweet soy sauce instead of hoisin sauce at some point maybe it will taste more like my favorite dish: Pad See Ew. Yum!!

INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2-3), cubed
1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced thin
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (add more if you want more heat)
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 (3-ounce) package ramen noodles, discard seasoning packets
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
4 scallions (green onions), sliced thin

DIRECTIONS:
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil over medium to medium-high heat until it is hot and rippling. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Add the cubed chicken to the pan in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken to a medium bowl.
Add the last tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat until hot and rippling. Add the red bell pepper and the peanuts and cook until the pepper is softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the mixture into the bowl with the chicken, trying to leave as much oil as possible behind in the skillet.
Add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes to the remaining oil in the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth. Break the bricks of ramen into small chunks and add them to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, tossing the ramen constantly with tongs to separate, until ramen is just tender but there is still a bit of liquid in the pan, about 2-4 minutes.
Stir in the hoisin sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil and continue to simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken, peppers and peanuts. Sprinkle with green onions before serving.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

This recipe is from Pioneer Woman. Absolutely the best mashed potatoes EVAH!!!

Ingredients

5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
¾ cups Butter
1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
½ cups (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper

Instructions

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.
Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.
Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.
Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.
Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

Cowboy Cookie (New and Improved)

I have a recipe for Cowboy Cookies that we all LOVE but I saw this recipe and thought I would give it a try. They are so YUMMY!! My kids LOVE them!!! This recipe has replaced the other one! I used a 1.5" cookie scoop and it made 28 cookies.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 ounces white whole wheat flour (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the flours, oats, baking soda and salt. Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove. Remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar. Add the butter/sugar mixture to the flour mixture, beating with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg. Beat until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Scoop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, silpat liners or coated with cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned on the edges. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Easy, Flaky, Buttery Biscuits

I have tried many of a biscuit recipe... I think this is the best one yet. 

3 cups Flour
4-½ teaspoons Baking Powder
2 Tablespoons Sugar
¾ teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
½ teaspoons Salt
¾ cups Butter, Cold
1 whole Egg, Slightly Beaten
1 cup Milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients together.
Cut in cold butter, until it is pea-sized.
Mix egg and milk, pour into the dry mix.
Stir together with a fork.
Combine all the dry mix with the wet mixture until it forms a soft ball.
Turn out onto a floured counter.
Pat down until 3/4″ thick (rolling will keep it from being flaky).
Using a biscuit cutter (or whatever you have handy), cut biscuits out and place on an ungreased pan.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and beautiful.


note: I have always laid my dough out into a rectangle and cut out square biscuits. It just seems like effective use of time and dough.

Giant Cookie

Spend $30 on a giant cookie from the mall or make my own.... it's a no-brainer! This recipe is a hit with everyone.

I actually double the recipe and put it in a 16" pizza pan lined with foil. It only has to be cooked a minute or two longer


INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, cream together the sugars and butter. Add the egg and vanilla and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Line a large (11X17-inch) baking pan with foil and press the cookie into a circle. I press my cookie into a 9-inch circle, about 1/4 to 3/8-inch thick. When it bakes, it spreads to about 11 inches, which fits perfectly onto a 12-inch round cardboard circle you can find at most craft stores.
If desired, top the cookie with M&M’s or any other garnishes. Bake for 13-16 minutes until the cookie is lightly golden brown. Let the cookie cool completely on the baking pan – this helps the cookie stabilize and set so it can be easily lifted off the pan. Once cool, gently use the foil to lift the cookie off the pan.

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

2 c. wheat flour

2 c. white flour

6 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

2 c. milk

1/2 c. oil

2 eggs

1 c. sugar

(up to) 2 c. mashed banana

Preheat oven to 400*

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.

In separate bowl mix wet ingredients.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Batter will be slightly lumpy.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Jalapeno Jelly

Here is the recipe as I found it on All-Recipes. Be sure to read my notes at the end to see what small changes I have made when I make this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 large green pepper

12 jalapenos

1 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

pinch of salt

4 1/4 c. sugar

4 oz liquid pectin

4 jalapenos seeded and finely chopped

Directions:

1. Combine green pepper and 12 jalapenos in food processor until finely chopped.

2. Transfer to large saucepan, stir in cider vinegar. bring to a boil and let simmer 15-20 minutes.

3. *optional: at this point you can strain it and put the liquid back in the sauce pan if you want. I do not strain.

4. Stir in salt and sugar until dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When mixture comes to a rolling boil (one that cannot be stirred down), boil for one minute, then stir in liquid pectin.

5. Stir in remaining jalapenos, and ladle into sterile jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Seal jars in hot water bath.

Here are the notes for what I do to this recipe:

1. Add a couple drops of food coloring.

2. Do ALL the peppers and don't strain... end up with 2 cup and use 3 oz of pectin

3. Add Tbsp. butter just before pectin

4. Do 6 c. sugar and boil 3-5 minutes after adding the pectin.

Serve with a block of cream cheese and crackers or pretzels! Yum!

My Mother's Day Menu

I'm too lazy to type out the recipes. They came, mostly, from one blog (it's one I haven't seen before, but I think I will go back to it again!). I will post the link and say that I thoroughly enjoyed ALL of it. But, Shelley, I don't think even you could eat more than one piece of this cake.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Perfect Roasted Asparagus

Honey Lime Fruit Salad

Hungarian Seven-Layer Cake

This cake is a little tricky. I did take some photos and if anyone wants to attempt to bake it, I'll be happy to share the little things I learned while making it. The chocolate frosting is so smooth. It's like eating a chocolate truffle. The cake layers are delicious too! It did take 3-4 hours from start to finish, but if you make it, I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Whole Wheat Bread

This recipe is my adaptation of a recipe that I got from my friend Jen. Thank you, Jen!

Pure, unadulterated, whole wheat bread.

Brew~ I do this part in a coffee mug and set it to the side to 'cure'.

1 Tbsp. Yeast (I use Instant Dry Yeast bought in bulk at Sam's)

1/4 c. warm water

1 Tbsp. sugar

The next steps I do in my 4qt KitchenAid mixer. Use the dough hook and don't go above speed 2... it will burn out your motor.

Mix the following before adding the yeast mixture:

3 cups warm water

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup oil (i use canola oil but you can use olive oil)

1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar or honey

3 Tbsp. wheat gluten

4 cups whole wheat flour

Add yeast to this mixture.

While the mixer is on add about 4 more cups of whole wheat flour half a cup at a time (you might need 1/2 cup less or 1/2 cup more). You will have enough flour when the dough is clinging to the hook and cleaning the sides of the bowl. The dough will be slightly sticky. Continue to let it knead on speed 2 for about 2 minutes.

At this time I dump it onto my kitchen counter and knead it one or two rounds just to make the dough soft and round. Spray the inside of a large bowl with cooking spray and plop that dough right into it. Cover with a towel and set somewhere warm (with no draft) to rise. I put it on my dryer while I'm doing laundry.

Let it rise 1 hour. Or until doubled in size.

Punch down the dough. Separate into 3 equal parts and form each into a loaf. Place them into loaf pans that have been lightly sprayed with cooking spray.

Cover again and let rise another hour. It should be doubled in size or just over the rim of the pan.

Place in a preheated 350* oven. Cook for about 45-50 minutes.

I melt some butter and brush it on top of the loaves so that the crust is soft. And then I cut it into slices with my electric knife.

THEN... we inhale every piece.

note:

This bread can be made just as easy by hand if you do not have a mixer... that's how I did it for a long time. After adding 2 or 3 additional cups of flour dump it on the counter and add the remaining flour by kneading it in. Knead for 5 to 10 minutes.

Easy Peasy Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

2 refrigerated rolled pie crusts

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 can of cream of celery soup

1-2 cups cooked chicken

1 cup of frozen mixed veggies

Directions:

-set out crust until room temperature.

-line a deep dish pie plate with one crust.

-mix soups, chicken, and veggies in bowl.

-pour mixture into pie crust

-cover mixture with other pie crust.

-crimp sides of crust.

-cut small slits in top of crust.

-bake at 350* until brown; about 30 minutes.

Cowboy Cookies

LOVE these!!! Found the recipe on Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen!

Ingredients:

1 C. white sugar

1 C. brown sugar

2 whole eggs

1 C. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

2 C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2-1/2 C. rolled oats

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*

In a large bowl mix with blender: white sugar, brown sugar, and eggs. Melt butter and pour in bowl with the sugar mixture. Add vanilla and mix on medium speed. In a separate bowl sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix well. With a sturdy spoon mix in oats. Then add chocolate chips.

Roll into walnut size balls and bake for 15-17 minutes.

OR

Do what I do: grease an oversized cake pan and pat the dough into the pan. Cook for about 30 minutes.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

I remember making these several years ago for New Year's Eve with the Capeners. I remember that Shelley and I thought it would be awesome to make our own meatballs. Awesome? Not so much. I just remember that it took a long time and we wished that we had just bought them pre-made.

This year for New Year's I dug out the recipe again. This time I was smart and bought a giant bag of meatballs at Sam's.

They turned out great! So great, actually, that I've made them four times since the first of January for various activities and they have been an absolute hit! They are a mainstay in our family now!

I've shared the recipe just how it is shown on allrecipes.com. But remember I do not make the meatballs... if you want to make them, knock yourself out!

Ingredients

For meatballs:

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2teaspoons granulated sugar

For sauce:

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained with juice reserved
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 large carrot, diced
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a large, shallow baking sheet.

For meatballs:

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs and onion. Sprinkle with ginger, seasoning salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Shape into one inch balls.
Place meatballs in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes; set aside.

For sauce:
Mix enough water with the reserved pineapple juice to make 1 cup. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the juice mixture, 1/3 cup water, vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Stir in cornstarch, ginger and seasoning salt, until smooth. Cover and cook until thickened.
Stir pineapple chunks, carrot, green pepper and meatballs into the sauce. Gently stir to coat the meatballs with the sauce. Simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until meatballs are thoroughly cooked.

Dressing/Stuffing

My sister perfected this recipe and it is DELICIOUS!

Ingredients:

4 C. crumbled cornbread
3-4 pieces crumbled bread or biscuit
2 cans chicken broth
1 lg onion
1-2 ribs of celery
2 cans chicken
3 eggs
1 c. melted butter
1.5 Tbsp sage
salt
pepper

Directions:

Combine bread and broth. Let Soak
Add onions, celery, eggs, and chicken. Mix thoroughly.
Add butter, sage, salt, and pepper.
Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes in a 350* oven.

Quick Candy Cookies

Once again.... from PW!

Ingredients:

Refrigerator Cookie Dough
Miniature Chocolate Candies

Directions:

Slice the cookie dough into 1 to 1 ½ inch slices. Lay the slices on their side and cut them into quarters. Place each quarter into a greased mini-muffin tin. Peel the wrapper from as many pieces of candy as cookies you’re going to make. (Don’t be afraid to try different combinations of candies and dough.)

Bake the cookie dough in a 350-degree oven for just a few minutes, about 6 to 8 at the most. You’ll want to take them out just when they start to turn golden.

Almost as soon as you pull the warm cookies from the oven, begin lightly pressing one piece of candy into each cookie. The warmer the cookies, the better. They’ll grab onto the pieces of candy and work their magic, making the candy nice and soft and melty. And ridiculous.

When they’re all done, carefully remove from muffin tins with a spoon and arrange on a nice decorative platter.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies

I think I'm in love with The Pioneer Woman. Seriously. She shares some of the best recipes!!!

This one is a favorite for our OU football watching at my dad's house!

The second time I made them I only cut the bacon in half and we liked them better!

Ingredients:

20 whole Fresh Jalapenos, 2-3 Inches In Size
2 cubes Cream Cheese (Softened)
1 pound Thin(regular) Bacon, Sliced Into Thirds

Directions:

If you have them, slip on some latex gloves for the pepper prep… Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat; leave a little if you like things HOT). Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle. (At this point, you can freeze them, uncooked, in a Ziploc bag for later use).

Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the bacon to shrink so much it starts to the squeeze the jalapeno. If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. These are best when the jalapeno still has a bit of bite to it.

Serve immediately, or they’re also great at room temperature.

Corn Bread - Jiffy Style

We LOVE cornbread. I used to buy boxes of Jiffy when it was on a good sale and would have a pretty good stock of it. One particular day when I went to make some I was all out. So, I went to the trusty internet and looked up a good substitute. I haven't bought a box of Jiffy since.

I make this in a 9x9 pan and it's a little on thin side so I usually double the recipe for the same size pan.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 c. milk

Directions:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl, mix well.
Whisk in vegetable oil and mix until dry mixture is smooth and lumps are gone.
Combine mix with egg and milk, mixing well.
Pour into pan.
Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400*.

Easy Peasy Chili

If you want a recipe that is really good but a little more involved CLICK ON THIS LINK it is great! I love Wendy's Chili and this tastes really good!

If you're wanting something even more quick and just as tasty, try this next one:

Sooooo easy. And a crowd pleaser.

This recipe doesn't use meat. Why? Because I'm cheap. I don't buy a lot of meat and I think chili tastes just as good without meat. But you can surely add a pound of ground turkey (my choice) or ground beef and it will be just as delicious.

Make this with a pan (or 2) of This Cornbread to go with!

Ingredients:

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
2 cans (14.5 oz) beans of your choosing (kidney, pinto, etc...)
1 can tomato paste
1-2 cups water
1 packet chili seasoning

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a crockpot on low for a few hours.

Tortilla Chicken Casserole

My friend Roxie posted a recipe for her enchiladas a while back and this has been our 'go to Mexican dish' a lot lately. But I've kind of tweaked it to make it my own and even easier!!

Ingredients:

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
½ cup sour cream
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
8-10 corn tortillas
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese (or Monterrey Jack)

Directions:

Cook chicken in the taco seasoning according to packet instructions.

Using a pizza cutter or kitchen shears cut up tortillas into about 1 inch pieces.

In a large bowl mix soup, sour cream, seasoned chicken and tortilla pieces. Dump into a 9x13 pan. Top with cheese.

Bake in a 350* oven for 20-25 minutes.

*note: to make this even easier... you can use canned chicken. You can also skip the step of cooking the chicken and just throw all the ingredients together.

Coconut Cream Pie

OH. MY. SCRUMPTIOUS!

Ingredients:

3 cups half-and-half
2 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour and salt.
Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, and stir in 3/4 cup of the coconut and the vanilla extract.
Pour into pie shell and chill 2 to 4 hours, or until firm.
Top with whipped topping, and with remaining 1/4 cup of coconut.

Note: To toast coconut, spread it in an ungreased pan and bake in a 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Peanut Butter Pie

Super yummy! There is absolutely nothing in this world better than chocolate and peanut butter!

Ingredients:

8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
2/3 c. peanut butter
2 T. milk
4 oz. thawed whipped topping
graham cracker or chocolate cookie crust

Directions:

Beat cream cheese & peanut butter until smooth.
Add sifted powdered sugar & milk.
Beat until well mixed.
Fold in topping.
Spoon into pie shell.
Chill in freezer 15 min.

***you can also spread a layer of homemade hot fudge or hot fudge ice cream topping onto the crust before putting the guts of the pie into the shell. this step is highly suggested but not necessary to LOVE it!!!!

Basic Mexican Rice

Once again The Pioneer Woman saves the day!!
We invited the missionaries over for dinner a while back and made Tortilla Chicken Casserole. But, I knew that with their appetites, that would not be enough. So, I remembered seeing a basic rice recipe on PW's site and made it to supplement the dinner. It was a hit!

I used regular diced tomatoes instead of the Rotel cuz my kiddos DON'T DO SPICE. But, I wish I had used the Rotel because I think it would have had a little more flavor. And we don't do cilantro in our house.... I'm allergic. So, that got left off as well. In the end it was still very yummy!!!

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• ½ whole Large Onion, Chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 cups Long Grain Rice
• 1 can Rotel (10 Ounce)
• 1 can Whole Tomatoes (14.5 Ounce)
• 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth (more If Needed)
• 1 teaspoon Cumin (more To Taste)
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and garlic, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add rice and garlic. Stir constantly, making sure the rice doesn’t burn. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Add Ro-tel and tomatoes. Stir to combine and let cook for 2 minutes. Finally, add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 additional minutes or until rice is done. Add more liquid as needed; rice shouldn’t be sticky.

Just before serving, sprinkle lots of freshly chopped cilantro over the top. Serve immediately.

Pecan Pie

This pie gets made once a year. For Thanksgiving. It's so yummy! The last few years I've even added a handful of chocolate chips and it is even more delicious!!!

Ingredients:

1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust
1 cup White Sugar
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
1 cup Corn Syrup
⅓ cups Melted Butter (salted)
3 whole Eggs Beaten
¼ teaspoons Vanilla
1 cup (heaping) Chopped Pecans

Directions:

Mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.
Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of an unbaked pie shell.
Pour syrup mixture over the top.
Bake pie at 350º for 50 minutes, being careful not to burn pecans and crust.
Allow to cool for several hours or overnight.

Funeral Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 package (around 26 Oz.) Shredded Frozen Hash Browns Or 6 Medium Potatoes (Peeled, Cooked, Cooled And Grated)
• 1 can Cream Of Chicken Soup
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• ½ cup Milk
• 1/2 cup To 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 whole Small Onion Chopped
• 2 cups Bread Crumbs
• 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• ½ cups Butter, Melted

Mix together the potatoes, soup, sour cream, milk, cheese and onions. Spread it into a greased 9 x 13 dish.
Mix the bread crumbs and Parmesan with the melted butter. Spread it over the top of the casserole.
Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until bubbly.
This freezes well, too. Make it in two 8 x 8 pans and freeze one.

Recipe linked here.

Chicken Flavored Rice Mix

I was asked to bring some kind of flavored rice to a funeral. I really had never made a flavored rice and I'm not a big fan of Rice-O-Roni. So, I went to AllRecipes (my absolute go-to recipe finder) and poked around. I came across this recipe that turned out delicious! Thought I would share!

INGREDIENTS

* 3 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
* 3 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
* 3 teaspoons dried celery flakes
* 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:
* 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
* 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
* 2 cups water

DIRECTIONS

In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

To prepare rice: In a saucepan, saute rice in butter until lightly browned. Add water and about 1/4 cup of seasoning mix. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender. Yield: 4-6 servings.

FOOTNOTE: I did not have the granules or the celery flakes so I just used chicken broth for the water and I had celery salt that I used instead of the flakes.

Chocolate Crinkles

I love these chocolate cookies. I recently decided to add dried cranberries and pecans to them and it was a hit!

3/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz chocolate chips (instead I add dried cranberries and crushed pecans)

3/4 cup powdered sugar for dusting


In a large bowl, mix melted butter with cocoa powder and sugar. In a medium bowl, stir flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using and electric mixer, beat eggs and vanilla into the chocolate mixture. Slowly stir in dry ingredients until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Set oven at 350 degrees. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in powdered sugar. Place on ungreased baking sheets 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on the sheet before transferring them to a rack.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

My kids like these much better than store bought white or wheat tortillas!

5 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 2/3 cups warm water
1 Tbsp. soy flour (only if you have it on hand, it's not necessary)

Stir together dry ingredients, then add the oil and water. Mix well and knead lightly. Pinch off walnut sized pieces of dough and roll out very, very thinly on a floured pastry cloth or on a floured board or counter. Aim for a round tortilla, but it really doesn't matter much if they are misshapen. Heat an ungreased griddle or frying pan to very hot and cook on one side until bubbles form, then turn over and cook the other side until brown "freckles" appear. Store in plastic bag. Makes 20 or more.

Steel Cut Oat Breakfast

While I'm on the subject of oats, I might as well post the breakfast I eat almost every morning. I had to pat myself on the back a while back when I read that Oprah herself ate almost the very same breakfast sometimes.

If you've never had steel cut oats, let me tell you that they are vastly superior to rolled oats. To cook steel cut oats, simply measure one cup oats to three cups water and cook on low for about 20 minutes or until tender (no lid on pan).

I use about 1 cup of these cooked oats (you'll have approximately three) to a bowl and then add:

1/8 cup ground flax
1/2 cup milk or soy milk
1 cup thawed mixed berries
1-2 tsp brown sugar

This is excellent nutrition and very yummy!

Blueberry Oat Flour Pancakes

Joseph and I had these at a Bed and Breakfast in September. They were so yummy, I had to try to find a recipe. The only bad thing about this recipe is that the pancakes are very hard to turn. Since I'm not a baker, I don't know what adjustments to make in the recipe (Heidi??)

To make oat flour, just put regular rolled oats in your blender. Blend them on high until they look like flour. With my blender, I had to help it along a little bit.

2 cups oat flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
2 cups milk or water
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
blueberries

Warm pan or griddle to medium with 1 tsp butter or oil. In a medium sized bowl, add dry ingredients together and mix lightly. Next add milk or water; stir. Add oil and 1 egg at a time. Mix thoroughly. Pour 1/2 cup mix at a time into pan.

Any Good Christmas Cookie Recipes?

Ok...I made this wonderful concoction today. Rice Crispies, milk and sugar. It was delish! Now, anyone have a good Christmas cookie recipe?

Hard Rolls

I just tried this recipe yesterday and it was such a big hit with my kids that I'm making it again today. I'm experimenting with whole wheat flour to see what kind of results I get. These rolls are really good!

1 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cup white flour, approx.

In a large bowl, mix the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and let it stand for a few minutes until dissolved. Ad another 1 1/4 cup warm water, stir in salt and then 3 cups of the flour. Turn out and knead for 10 minutes until smooth adding flour as necessary. Place in unbuttered bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until double. This will take a while because there is no sugar in the recipe. Punch down and turn out on a board. Pull off pieces of dough slightly larger than a gold ball and turn them, cupping your hands over and pulling dough toward the bottom until you have a perfect round. Pinch the seams at the bottom and place on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart (either use Pam or sprinkle cornmeal first). cover lightly with a towel (I used wetted paper towels) and let rise again until double. Preheat oven to 450 degress about halfway through final rising. Brush risen rolls with cold water and put them in the oven. Immediately throw several ice cubes in the floor of the over. Check after 15 minutes. When rolls are done they should be browned.

Petition for Recipes!

Hey guys!! It's been since July that we've seen any activity on here!! Let's see if we can fix that. Give us some of your favorite holiday recipes.

Grilled Asparagus

So first off - this is my first time EVER posting to this recipe blog!! Can you believe it? Seriously -How long has this blog been around? Second - I'm no cook. And this is not fancy. But it is DANG good. A friend of mine mentioned he love Asparagus on the grill. So I thought I'd try it. It is the yummiest summer meal ever! We just grilled chicken and had sliced nectarines. Delish! But hurry!! Summer is almost over!

So here's what you do!

Take 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and peeled, 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon salt
Preheat a grill.
Place asparagus on a plate. Drizzle oil over the asparagus and turn spears until they are coated. Sprinkle with salt and turn again.
Grill asparagus for 5 minutes over a hot grill. Each minute or so, roll each spear 1/4 turn. Asparagus should begin to brown in spots (indicating that the natural sugars are caramelizing) but should it not be allowed to char. Dripping oil may cause flare-ups. Keep a glass, or spray bottle of water handy to spritz on coals, if necessary.
Remove from grill and serve immediately (eating spears with your fingers enhances the experience).

Look for firm asparagus stalks with firm deep green or purplish tips. Also check the bottom of the spears. If they are dried up, chances are they have been sitting around for too long. Trim off the tough bottom of the spear by grasping each end and bending it gently until it snaps at its natural point of tenderness, usually 2/3 of the way down the spear. If the spear is less than 6 inches long, chances are it has already been trimmed for you.

Happy Eating!

No Bake Cookies

I'm sure that many of you have mastered The Art of The No Bake Cookie but, until Friday I had not! I finally figured it out! For some reason mine always turned out crumbly and I was always frustrated because I wanted yummy ones and mine never were! Well, I think I've got it! I read somewhere online that if you don't boil them for the EXACT time that the recipe calls for you will not get good results. Well, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 cup extra crunchy peanut butter
3 cups quick oats

Directions:
Lay out foil or wax paper BEFORE you make the cookies.

Combine the sugar, cocoa, milk and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a heavy boil for exactly one minute. Remove from heat.

Add the vanilla, peanut butter and oatmeal; stir well to mix up all the ingredients and plop spoon sized amounts onto foil or wax paper and let cool.

The key to making these set right is to boil them for one minute exactly. You start counting the minute once the mixture comes to a ROLLING BOIL. Use a clock with a second hand or a digital with a stop watch for accuracy.

If they never really get firm, then you didn't boil them long enough.

If they get too crumbly, then you boiled them too long. Adjust accordingly the next time you make them.


GOOD LUCK!

Megan's Granola Bar Recipe

In the pan (before being cut)

Megan made these for our family last summer and they were wonderful. I made them tonight so that we can enjoy them tomorrow at the beach!

Melt together until very hot, but not boiling:

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cup brown
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup honey (I used Agave nectar)

Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.

2 cups rice crispies
2 cups corn flakes (measure, then crush)
4 cups quick oats
3 tsp. baking powder
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup toasted coconut
1 cup sunflower seeds

Once it cools you can add dried fruit, raisins, chocolate chips, cinnamon etc. Press into a cookie sheet and bake at 300* for approximately 15 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

These are similar, but better than the granola bars you can buy at the store!

Summer Fresh Fruit Salad

I got this recipe from Sparkrecipes.com. I modified it a little bit, but it's great as a salad to go with a meal or even for a summer-y dessert.

16 large Strawberries, fresh
20 Pecan halves, or 1/4 cup, broken or crushed
1/4 cup raisins, golden seedless
1 Mango, fresh, diced without skin
1 Tbsp. Honey
1/4 cup coconut, unsweetened, flaked
2 Tbsp. quinoa, precooked/cooled


Instructions

1. Cook quinoa just like white rice. Measure two to one (1 cup Quinoa to 2 cups water). Bring to a boil, lower temperature and cover for approximately 14 minutes. Cool.

2. Rinse strawberries, trim tops and cut inot a medium bowl. Add raisins and coconut flakes.

3. Slightly crush the pecans so they are not whole halves, add to bowl.

4. Dice mango, no skin.

5. Add cooled quinoa and honey. Turn carefully with a spoon to coat all of the above with honey.

My modifications:

My mango wasn't ripe enough. I used unpeeled nectarines. I also added blueberries (not pictured) because one small child had been promised some blueberries!

Best Pancakes Ever!

Okay, so I guess now I can truly be called a "contributor" seeing as this is my first contribution. It is a simple one, but I must tell someone that right now..."There's a party in my tummy! There's a party in my tummy!"

Take any pancake recipe you want. They can be from scratch or a box. I made enough for 2 people.
Add:
1 TBSP vanilla
Zest of one orange

Cook pancakes and serve with strawberry preserves or fresh strawberries and coolwhip.

OH MY HEAVENS.......why have I never done this before!

My Tastebook

I've been meaning to post about this since Mother's Day....

For Mother's Day I ordered myself a Tastebook with recipes that I chose from this blog. Here are a couple of photos:

It came 'wrapped' with a sticker on the outside with my name on it... aahhh how cute!

Drum roll please.....

I love it! It's so nice to just pull it off the shelf and it have all of my favorite recipes in it! Easy peasy!

When you purchase one you get 100 recipes for the price but I only used like 30 so I can still add more favorite recipes and continue to add them to my book!

Here's the link if you're interested: Tastebook

You can search for our blog recipes if you want to add them to your book. When you get to Tastebook they are under - Do We Have To Eat This.

Dutch Babies

Several years ago my good friend Tracy made this for us for dinner because Geoff went on a mission to the Netherlands. I've been meaning to get the recipe from her since then but never remember! Then Aspen spent the weekend with a friend and came home begging me to make German Pancakes because her friend's mom made them and they were sooo good. So this morning I thought I would make the pancakes and when I looked up a recipe I found that they are actually the Dutch Babies that Tracy made for us!! I made them for breakfast and the kids loved them so much that they wanted more for lunch! I guess we'll have to have salad for dinner!

FYI - I doubled it using 8 eggs and put it in a slightly bigger cake pan. And since I was out of white flour for the lunch batch I used half white/half wheat flour and they turned out great!
This is the link to the recipe that I found: German Pancakes

1/4 c butter
4-6 large eggs
1 c flour
1 c milk
1/4 t salt
Lemon juice, maple syrup, powdered sugar, for toppings

Preheat oven to 400*. Melt butter in 9x13 pan (glass seems to work best) in oven; swirl around so it covers the pan; In a blender add eggs, flour, milk and salt and blend just until mixed... do not overbeat. Pour into pan. Bake 20-30 minutes, until puffy and deep golden brown. Serve at once sprinkled with lemon juice and powdered sugar, or maple syrup or whatever you like on your pancakes.

Veggie Pasta

This may not be kid-friendly, because it is mostly veggies. We are trying to eat healthy in our home, so this is what I came up with for last night's dinner. After eating I immediately wrote down what I did so I could make it again sometime. My husband loved it!
I'll have to take a picture next time to post.

Ingredients:
6 oz Pasta (such as penne or rigatoni)
Cooking Spray (such as Pam)
1/2 T butter
1 clove Garlic minced
Cayenne Pepper to taste (I use about 1/8 tsp)
1 tsp Chicken base
1 tsp basil
1/4 C water
1 small Zucchini
1 small Yellow Squash
1 Green Pepper
1 Tomato
1/2 Onion
2 T Olive Oil
1/4 C grated Parmesan Cheese

Cut Veggies (Zucchini, Squash, Onion, Pepper, Tomato) into narrow strips.
Cook Pasta according to directions on package.
Spray a pan with Cooking spray. add 1/2 T of butter. Saute Garlic. Add cayenne pepper, basil, chicken base. Add 1/4 C water. Add veggies and cook to crisp/tender.
Drain pasta. Pour in veggie mix. Mix in Olive Oil and shredded Parmesan Cheese.

Makes 4 servings

Oatmeal Caramelitas

I got this recipe years ago from some friends in Utah. I LOVE it. Pioneer Woman recently posted a similar recipe on her website.

1/2 C. Butter (softened)
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
Cream together then add:
2 C. Flour
2 C. Oatmeal
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Vanilla
After mixing, press 1/2 of mixture onto edged 9x13 (or slightly bigger) cookie sheet and bake 8 minutes @ 350*.
Remove from oven & sprinkle on top:
1 C. Semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 C. Butterscotch chips
1 C. Chopped pecans or walnuts
Drizzle over top:
1 Jar butterscotch or caramel ice cream topping + 3 TBSP flour.
Then crumble remaining flour mixture over top and return to oven & bake 15-20 more minutes (still 350*).
Oh heavens.

Pioneer Woman Lasagna

Oh, ladies! This is delicious!! While I was visiting Shelley in NJ last week I told her that I would make her favorite dinner. She wanted lasagna. So, I made this recipe from Pioneer Woman. Her boys who normally can't stand lasagna even seemed to like it!

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 pound hot breakfast sausage
2 cloves minced garlic
2 14.5-oz cans of whole tomatoes
2 6-oz cans of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of dried parsley flakes
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
10-oz package of lasagna noodles
3 cups lowfat cottage cheese
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup Kraft Parmesan Cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound sliced mozzarella cheese (I used shredded)


In a skillet, combine ground beef, sausage, and garlic. Cook until brown. Drain off about half the fat. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, basil, and salt. Mix together thoroughly and simmer, uncovered, about 45 minutes... stirring occasionally.

(Here PW instructs the boiling of the lasagna noodles... I don't boil my noodles. I just bake my lasagna a little longer.)

Mix cottage cheese in a bowl with eggs. Add Parmesan cheese, parsley, and salt. Mix together well.
Let the assembly begin! Lay four cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of the pan, overlapping as you go. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Then lay 1/2 pound of mozzarella cheese slices on top of the cottage cheese mixture. With the spoon, make a line through the middle of the meat mixture so you’ll distribute it evenly. Spread a little less than half of the meat mixture over the mozzarella cheese slices until it’s evenly distributed. Repeat the process. Top with a pretty generous layer of Kraft Parmesan Cheese.
Now pop it in a 350-degree oven for 20-30 minutes (or 1 hour if you don't boil the noodles), until hot and bubbly.

Easy Dinner Rolls

I got this recipe years ago and it is the only recipe that I use. They always turn out delicious and they are SUPER easy to make!


1 cup water(110 degrees F)
2 pkgs yeast (Do not use the quick rising in this recipe)
1/2 cup butter melted
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
4 1/4 cups flour

Combine water and yeast in lg bowl; let stand for 5 minutes.
With wooden spoon, stir in butter, sugar, eggs and salt. Add flour, 1 cup at a time and beat in as much as you can (you will probably be able to use all the flour). Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
Grease a 13x9 baking pan. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Divide into 24 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth round ball. Place in rows in prepared pan. Cover and let rise for 1 hour; until doubled. Heat oven to 375*. Bake until golden brown, about 17 minutes.

Crabby Patties

I had a bunch of crab meat in the freezer so I searched around for Crab Cake recipe and this is one that my kiddos loved. They also loved that I called them Crabby Patties.

1 lb crab fresh meat (or 2 cans)
1 egg
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1 TBSP mustard
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
2 TBSP fat-free mayo
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp old bay seasoning
1/2 tsp dry mustard

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Place in refrigerator for minimum 30 minutes.
Spray skillet with cooking spray, brown about 4-5 minutes each side.
Makes 6 crab cakes.

Super Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 C. peanut butter
1 C. sugar
1 egg

Mix all ingredients and form small balls. Place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Press balls with a fork to flatten. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes until golden brown.

Easy Pie Crust

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup oil
2 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Stir ingredients together in pie plate, then shape by hand for crust. Enjoy!

Irresistable Peanut Butter Cookies

3/4 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. Crisco
1 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
3 TBSP milk
1 TBSP vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda

Combine peanut butter, Crisco, and brown sugar, milk & vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed with mixer till well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just till blended. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto un-greased baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes at 375*. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Magic Milk Shakes

I got this recipe from The Hillbilly Housewife. It's a really good alternative to using ice cream and it really does taste like a Wendy's frosty!

1-1/2 to 2 cups ice water
1-1/2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 1-1/2 trays of ice cubes, as much as you can spare
2 tablespoons corn oil plus a 5-second squirt of non-stick spray for emulsification purposes

Place all of the ingredients into the blender, including the oil and the non-stick spray. Use less water for thicker milk shakes and more water for shakes that are easy on your blender motor. The blender should be about 3/4's full. Place the lid on. Process for a full 2 minutes. Pour into cups and serve. Makes 4 - 12oz servings.
I love this recipe because it makes very rich milk shakes without any ice cream. I don't always have ice cream in the house because the kids eat it so fast. With this recipe we can have delicious frosty milk shakes for a fraction of the cost of those using ice cream. And all the ingredients are on the pantry shelf.

Chocolate Caramel Candy (Snickers)

I'm posting this for Shelley. It's a family favorite for them. I've been the recipient of this concoction a couple of times and it was mouth-watering!


Bottom layer:
1 c. Semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. Butterscotch chips
1/4 c. creamy butter
Filling:
1/4 c. butter or margarine
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. evaporated milk
1 1/2 c. marshmallow creme
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. chopped salted peanuts
Caramel Layer:
1 pkg (14 oz) caramels
1/4 c. whipping cream
Icing:
1 c. (6oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. Butterscotch chips
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter

Combine the 1st 3 ingredients in a small saucepan; stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Spread onto the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Refrigerate until set.
For filling, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sugar & milk. Bring to a boil; boil & stir for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in marshmallow creme, peanut butter, & vanilla. Add peanuts. Spread over 1st layer. Refrigerate until set.
Combine the caramels & whipping cream in a sauce pan and stir over low heat until melted & smooth. Spread over the filling. Refrigerate until set.
In another saucepan combine chocolate and butterscotch chips with peanut butter. Stir over low hit until melted & smooth. Poor over the caramel layer. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Cut into 1 inch squares. Store in fridge. Yield about 8 dozen.

Broccoli Salad

This salad is so delicious! Just a little secret, though, I really DO NOT like raisins. So, anything that calls for them I just pretend that I put them in!

1 lb bacon (I use turkey bacon)
1 c. mayo
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP bacon drippings
1/4 c. sugar
1 c. raisins
1 c. sunflower seeds
Bite-sized broccoli (I guess at how much.. you can too)
Chopped red onion(I guess here too. About 1/2 of an onion)

Night before: Fry up the bacon and crumble. Mix mayo, vinegar, drippings (with turkey bacon there might be any-just omit), and sugar.
Day of serving: Combine raisins, seeds, broccoli, onion, and bacon with sauce and serve.

Eskimo Joe's Honey Mustard

YEARS and YEARS ago I used to work at Eskimo Joe's as a waitress while I was in college. For those of you who do not live in Oklahoma and do not know about this place it is a really cool place to eat in Stillwater, OK. It was a lot of fun to work there, too. Well, they had this scrumptious honey mustard salad dressing that they offered and I got hooked on it! One day when I was working, I asked one of the prep cooks if he would give me the recipe to the honey mustard (they make it by the 5 gallon buckets from scratch). He told me that if he gave it to me he would have to kill me and then he pointed to the binder that the recipe was stored in and looked the other way!! You didn't get this information from me! :)

5 c. spicy mustard
3/4 c. white vinegar
2 tsp onion salt
2 tsp red pepper flakes
7 TBSP yellow mustard
9 c. mayo
4 c. light karo syrup
5 c. honey
4c. salad oil

Mix first 5 ingredients. Add last 4 ingredients. Blend well.

Okay, okay! So you probably don't want to make 5 gallons of this stuff! Here's what I have when it's divided by 4:

1 1/4 c. spicy mustard
.1875 c. (little less than 1/4 c.) white vinegar
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 3/4 TBSP yellow mustard
2 1/4 c. mayo
1 c. light karo syrup
1 1/4 c. honey
1 c. salad oil

(This fills a couple of mason jars)

If you get a chance you should read up on the restaurant's history it's pretty fun!

Banana Bread

I try to make this as often as I have rotting bananas. Everybody raves about it and asks me where I got the recipe. Well... I got it from that red and white checkered cookbook that everybody and their mother has!

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg
1 c. mashed bananas (3 medium)
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. cooking oil
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

Grease loaf pan.
In a medium bowl combine first 4 ingredients. Make a well in the center; set aside.
In another bowl combine next 4 ingredients. Add wet mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir just till moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts.
Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake in a 350* oven for 50-55 minutes.

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake

Oh heavens! Shelley and I made this last night! Delish!

Cake
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing
1/2 cup pecans
1 3/4 sticks butter
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.
Pour buttermilk in measuring cup. Add eggs, baking soda, and vanilla.
Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make icing:
Chop pecans finely.
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.
Add milk, vanilla, powdered sugar and stir together.
Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.
Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.